A Wardrobe of 10

I suppose this is somewhat similar to a top 10 thread, but yet.. not . If you could only have 10 fragrances in your drobe, what would you pick, and most importantly, why?

Based on everything I've tried, here is what I would go with as of today

1. Bois de Turquie
I just love it. Cinnamon, orange, incense, sandalwood, orris, myrrh. It's a light enough oriental to be worn in all but the warmest of temps (it actually seems to fair best in warmer weather). Rich and opulent but its restrained nature makes it suitable for nearly any occasion. Its three distinct phases allow it to fit the role of my orris scent, one of my cinnamon scents (one of my favorite notes!), and my sandalwood scent.

2. Prada Amber
Ultra clean and yet evolves nicely and has a sort of magnetic allure to it. Extremely unique and fares fairly well in all weather and almost all situations. Versatile!

3. Versace Pour Homme
Another medium weight kind of frag that fairs well in many situations. Light enough to be a 'casual aquatic' but heavy enough to come across as slightly formal if you were dressed up. The cedar and oud in the drydown are nice, as is the mineralic note in the late drydown. The drydown is combined with a very nice citrus opening and sage heart. In this lineup it would serve mostly as a daily casual fragrance.

4. L'Anarchiste
Versatile medium weight frag (can you see a trend here? ). It's dark and brooding and yet has some spiritual qualities with the nice dose of cedar. One of my favorites during fall.. I've often called it the "scent of autumn, bottled."

6. Fleur du Male
Sexy, sweet, woody, playful and barbershoppy. Makes a great date scent if you're feeling bold, and applied lightly works great in the spring. It's also extremely comforting to me. Along with Prada Amber, the most comforting fragrances I have tried.

7. Un Parfum des Sens et Bois
Ethereal incense, cedar and violets (almost smells like an airy ylang ylang note). Meditative and yet suitable for nearly any occasion. My drobe would need at least one incense scent and this is my first pick (if I were to include a second incense it would be Serge Noire)

8. Lys Mediterranee
Would be a staple of my spring and summer wardrobe. A cool lily based scent that doesn't get too sweet on me and stays firmly in the unisex boat. Sometimes you just want to smell like a flower, y'know?

9. Erolfa
Sometimes you just want to smell like the ocean. Salt. Mmm. This scent is one of the few that can be worn in 90+ degree temperatures with no fear of it turning on you. My favorite aquatic (I consider Versace Pour Homme to be more of a citrus/woody with an almost oriental drydown)

10. Not 100% sure what to fill this spot with yet. Something very woody and meditative. At least meditative. Some candidates are: Bois de Aoud, Tam Dao (need to test this more), Serge Noire, Royal Aoud, Hinoki (need to test more), Let me Play the Lion.

Honorable mentions:
Ungaro II - a beautiful scent. One of the finest I've ever smelled.. I just don't know when to wear it. I'm debating sticking it in the #10 slot just so I can have it around to sniff from time to time.

M7 - I love this but I've got other scents on the list that could be worn in its place, and it's not versatile enough. I have a feeling if it was winter right now and I was wearing this as regularly as I do in winter, that it would definitely be on my list. I haven't worn it in quite a while and so I'm forgetting all of its best qualities and remembering its slightly synthetic drydown. That's another reason its not on the list as of now.

Antidote - I love it but it lasts TOO long and I find the drydown to be just too synthetic to justify it being on my top 10 of all time.

Davidoff Adventure - I love this, too, but sometimes find it *too* spicy. L'Anarchiste and Bois de Turquie have some similar aspects both having woods and cinnamon and so 3 scents of this nature are just not necessary and Adventure is my least favorite of the three.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

I'm still unsure of if I should stick with my list of ones I love, or try to include a few categories or notes that went unrepresented in my original list (most likely because even the "best of" that I've come across from the category I don't like or see myself wearing more than the top 10 in my list).

I really would like to cut my wardrobe down to about 10 - 20 scents maximum. 10 - 20 scents that I absolutely love and would in turn wear frequently enough to be intimate with their every detail.

I'll never give up sampling but even now I find that I have so many samples I haven't properly evaluated and just don't get around to because I'd rather wear something I know I love or that I know is suitable for the day or occasion.

Encre Noir: My blow your mind scent. One thing is for sure, if I am ever in need to have a conversation starter, Encre Noir is my go to guy. Yes, that is ink your smelling.....

Amouage Dia for Men: Mr. Elegant. You need something in your wardrobe that just makes you smell like a million (or two) bucks. Sillage, longevity, smell, everything is absolutely perfect. One of the greatest smells on earth.

Hugh Parsons Blue: My go-to casual. No situation is ever too big or too small for Mr. Parsons. Cool, confident, laid back, yet classy. My scent for when I need to make a quiet impression, but feel comfortable at the same time.

Mure et Musc Extreme: The Panty Dropper. What else can be said, this stuff smells frickin' brilliant. And the compliments almost begin to get annoying after a while.

Empty Slot: My gourmand. I am in the search right now for it, so I have nothing to fill this spot at the moment. But possible contenders include: The Serge Lutens: Vetiver Oriental, Borneo 1834, and Douce Amere, Cologne du 68, L'Instant Pour Homme Eau Extreme and Chocolat Amere.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

Originally Posted by SculptureOfSoul

I'm still unsure of if I should stick with my list of ones I love, or try to include a few categories or notes that went unrepresented in my original list (most likely because even the "best of" that I've come across from the category I don't like or see myself wearing more than the top 10 in my list).

I really would like to cut my wardrobe down to about 10 - 20 scents maximum. 10 - 20 scents that I absolutely love and would in turn wear frequently enough to be intimate with their every detail.

I'll never give up sampling but even now I find that I have so many samples I haven't properly evaluated and just don't get around to because I'd rather wear something I know I love or that I know is suitable for the day or occasion.

See, I don't think I could cut it down to the required 10. In my list I have quite a few genres listed but because of this have ommited some of my favorites. I think 20 is duable but 10 is too hard.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

1. Creed Green Irish Tweed - true year rounder. citrus, earthy-floral, woods, creamy, earthy wood base is simply the best.
2. Creed Original Vetiver - another scent strong enough for cold weather, fresh enough for warm weather. best fresh vetiver out. Superbly rich, yet still green drydown on heavy application.
3. Hermes Concentre D'Orange Verte - of all the contemporary EDC-type citrus scents, this is the strongest, and most natural smelling. Impossible to over apply/never offensive. When applied heavy the mango and papaya really shine.
4. Creed Selection Verte - of all the traditional EDC-type scents, this was not only the most interesting/unique, but also more lasting than most(besides colonia), excellent warm weather citrus/herb/floral, that is timeless.
5. Sisley Eau De Campagne - most realistic "light green" scent ever. just enough citrus and floral to balance the very natural tomato leaf heart note. Unrivaled.
6. Creed Millesime Imperial - unbelievable fruit/citrus/floral, with just enough palm sap/wood to keep it from being too femme. as with most creeds, it does not become offensive at any level of application.
7. Truefitt & Hill West Indian Limes - deliciously "wet" lime-citrus scent. longevity isn't very good, and a heavy application does reveal a synthetic nature, but it's still a no doubt keeper in my book for starting out fun, wet, and sweet/tart, and ending green and spicy.
8. Creed Erolfa - Took me awhile to rate this one highly, but this is the only scent I have "come to understand" after initially being unimpressed. I think all the very slight use of many different watery floral, crisp herbal and sharp coniferous notes (yes, pine is in their official pyramid), when tied into the thick, (I'm assuming aged) briny ambergris really delivers an incredible olfactory image. It is a subtle scent, but again, with most creeds, even bathing in this never gets offensive or overly synthetic. I now prefer this over Bvlgari as the best Aqiuatic.
9. Guerlain Vetiver Sport - THE most slept on flanker of all time. Took a truly great green cologne and removed all the dated notes (carnation, tobacco, etc) and replaced them with very contemporary ones (Mandarin, Capsicum red pepper). Very fresh take on Guerlain's classic, and still very masculine.
10. Creed Green Valley - Of all the noticable sweet green scents, this is clearly the winner. maybe not a pure green valley, more of a green-beige-white valley, which i prefer as I've already got several "pure green" scents. Not always in the mood for so much honeysuckle bush/vanilla/sweetness, but when I am, this is the one I reach for. A keeper.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

1. Eau Noire: Signature scent, dark and mysterious but ultra comforting
2. Cologne Blanche: The anti-thesis to Eau Noire, great for when I just want to smell clean and innocent.
3. Morning Blossom: Smells like happiness and relaxation in a bottle
4. Vetiver Extraordinaire: Great for when I want to smell like a green forest
5. Gendarme: The boring, yet ever-so-good office frag that everyone loves (eg. "ooouuhh you smell like soap.")
6. Black XS: The uber synthetic clubbing fragrance that never fails to get compliments.
7. Costes: Fall fragrance - cinnamon and incense. Has a spiritual vibe while also smelling trendy.
8. Mugler Cologne: I wear this when I'm thirsty and feeling a bit gritty on a hot day.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

Shalimar - Everyone needs an oriental, this one is the best ever.
Patchouli by Réminiscence - My choice amongst all the patchouli fragrances out there.
Muscs Koublaï Khän - Unique musk that stands alone, but also layers well.
Body Kouros - Everyone needs a screamer. This one is LOUD, but the drydown is sublime.
Wall Street - My choice amongst the tidal wave of aquatics. This one is also a great floral.
Sous Le Vent Guerlain - My choice for a citrus classic.
Messe de Minuit - An eccentric incense, nice orange top.
Vétiver Annick Goutal - You have to have a vetiver, this one is great as it skips the citrus and replaces it with iodine.
Eau d'Hermès - My favorite eau and a wardrobe without a Roudnitska is unthinkable.
Sables Annick Goutal - Year rounder, tenacious and the use of immortelle is perfect.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

See, I don't think I could cut it down to the required 10. In my list I have quite a few genres listed but because of this have ommited some of my favorites. I think 20 is duable but 10 is too hard.

I agree, but I'd need more then 20. I grasp the impetus to downsize and I've seen a few collectors do this - and I've also seen those people regret it. Before someone downsizes severely I'd suggest they experiment first by picking ten (or whatever # you plan to downsize to) bottles, put the rest in the closet and go a month with just those ten. If you enjoy this, then start selling, but at least try first. I know I got bored with 15 scents on a 14 day vacation (I weat 2/day often). One can of course focus on a slection of fragrances without selling the rest.

Anyway, my list above needs a vetiver, so I'd probably take out Pour Monsieur and put in Vetiver Pour Elle or Vetiver Extraordinaire.

Re: A Wardrobe of 10

This is really hard, but if I had to choose ten right now, here they are:

1. Lorenzo Villoresi Vetiver - earthy and classy at the same time. My favorite vetiver.
2. Lorenzo Villoresi Piper Nigrum - the top notes make me smile and it dries down to something lovely and different.
3. Olivier Durbano Black Tourmaline - Smokey and beautiful.
4. L'Artisan Fou d'Absinthe - Slightly pungent and a bit dirty, while also slightly sweet and boozy. Very strange and very good.
5. Parfum d'Empire Eau de Gloire - I don't know how all of these notes combine into something so beautiful, but they do. I don't know why this one gets so little notice on basenotes.
6. Caron Yatagan - What can I say that hasn't been said a million times? One of the best masculines ever.
7. MPG Ambre Precieux - My favorite amber by far.
8. Serge Lutens Gris Clair - Burnt lavender with (thankfully) none of the Lutens honey.
9. Salvador Dali PH - This is a great fragrance. There was some spilled in transit when I bought a bottle and I actually kept the cardboard to smell for days.
10. Givenchy Gentleman - My favorite patchouli.

I could live with just those 8 frankly. I buy new bottles all the time, and always go back to these...although I admit I rarely wear Iris Silver Mist and Mitsouko, I still wouldn't want to be without them.